MUMBAI: To promote the 1 April, 2011, release of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s live action/CG-animated comedy Hop, Universal Partnerships & Licensing (UP&L) has assembled a total of 92 promotional partners and licensees worldwide including Walmart, Burger King, Comcast, Hallmark, The Hershey Company and Kodak.

Hop has received significant support from retailers around the globe including Walmart in the US, Target in Australia, El Corte Ingles in Spain, hmv in the U.K. and Jay Jay’s in South Africa. Walmart has an exclusive partnership with Hop in the US, making it the first time the company has used a licensed property to brand a seasonal campaign.

It is also the first time that partners such as Bolthouse Farms and licensees like Lima Sky have been involved in a film. Lima Sky’s "Doodle Jump: Hop the Movie" app, which was released earlier this month, reached No. 1 in the iTunes App Store Top Free Apps chart in China, Germany, Austria, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. In the US, the app reached No. 2 as a Top Free App, and it has garnered more than 3.2 million total global downloads since its release.

In advance of the film’s opening day, partners and licensees will promote Hop across multiple platforms with campaigns that are powered by television, print, in-theater promotions and major special events. The total value in global support from partners and licensees equals more than $75 million, including $19 million in domestic television advertising.

Comcast and Kodak are both featuring co-branded Hop television spots with custom animation from Rhythm & Hues, the same company that provided the animation for the film.